Every part of medical school is an opportunity to prepare for a successful match. Emergency Medicine has become one of the most competitive specialties in the nation. As the competition for those few coveted spots have increased so too has the necessity to properly prepare yourself. There is no one size fits all formula for a successful match. This is not a comprehensive list of what it takes to successfully match but more a few highlights and how to get that information during your remaining years as a student.

Basics:

#1 most important part of your residency application is arguably your SLOE (Standard Letter of Evaluation).

Be humble (especially if you have previous experience in the ED). Never try to outshine a resident or attending.

Be interested and engaged, but not annoying.

15 mins early is on time, on time is late, and late is unacceptable.

Be genuine, kind, and look for any opportunity to be an asset to the team (get a patient water, do chest compressions, help out a nurse, etc.).

Don’t forget about the follow up. If you see something interesting or new read up on it and talk to your attending about it the next day. Follow up on interesting cases you saw from the day before and see how they are doing whether in person or through the EHR.